2001 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor 4.6L V8 from North America

Summary:

Best car I've ever owned!

Faults:

Needed oil changes every 3,000 miles and new tires after I found that the car had Posi-Track Rear End, so burnouts are very easy and fun.

General Comments:

Incredible car! Very roomy, comfortable on long road-trips and cruises very well. Performance-wise, the car is seriously fast, a real sleeper. Its no wonder why police departments across the country use this as their patrol cars.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th October, 2005

12th Dec 2006, 16:10

"Posi-Traction" is a GM term - Ford's version is "Trac-Lok", which is what you have ;-)

All kidding aside, YES, these cars are amazing. They don't have all of the bells and whistles of the LX or Sport models, but what they lack in creature comforts, they definitely make up in reliability. Oil coolers, trans coolers, better computer tune from the factory, better transmission programming, better suspension components... you can run these things to 300K miles or more as long as you keep up on the basic maintenance. Plus you get nice, strong running V8 with true dual exhaust.

Oh - one last perk: nobody drives like an idiot when they are near you on the highway :)

2001 Ford Crown Victoria LX 4.6L V8 from North America

Summary:

I LOVE it, and I recommend that you buy one

Faults:

The only complaints I have about this car are:

The Lumbar Seat buttons on the side of the seats broke and hang out. The replacement cost is $50 per and since they still work, I'm playing "cheapskate".

The Idle Air Control Valve is messed up, causing the car not to want to start. I have to sit there with my foot on the gas to keep it running, but the part alone is $120 and labor added takes the total repair to $200. I also decided to play "cheapskate" on that repair too.

General Comments:

I LOVE this car, and I intend on keeping this one. It is 1000% better than that piece of crap 2000 Subaru Legacy L Wagon I had.

Another BIG thing I want to clear up is fuel economy. I average about 17.5 m.p.g. in town, 26 m.p.g. on highway. Everyone talks about the sucky fuel economy, but I think that's great for such a big car, and especially with gas prices today.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th August, 2005

21st Mar 2006, 21:30

The Crown Victoria DOES get good fuel economy though. 18mpg city and 25 highway is excellent for such a large car with a V8. A Chrysler PT Cruiser (with a 2.4l 4-cylinder) has the exact same city mileage rating, but gets 2mpg less in the city. The Crown Vic isn't so tough on fuel after all, and when you add in the utility of the huge trunk, 6 passenger seating, towing capacity, and the general comfort/enjoyment of owning and driving one, the fuel economy issue is pretty insignificant.

22nd Sep 2006, 09:53

You might not want to let the IAC go. Besides the fog-horn noise it can cause, a broken IAC can put stress on other components and cause them to fail, too.

28th Oct 2006, 16:49

I had the same Idle Air Sensor problem. I picked up a new one at Auto Zone for $65.00 and changed it in 15 minutes. They told me I could probably fix the old one with carb cleaner, but for 65 bucks why bother. Great car!

9th Dec 2006, 16:24

You can usually just take the throttle body off with a few screws and clean it out. Your control is probably just not sitting right maybe some carbon build up.

2001 Ford Crown Victoria LX 4.6L V8 from North America

Summary:

Good, large relative reliable sedan for the family

Faults:

At 19,000 miles - switch to turn on and off dome lights. Replaced under warranty. $0 cost. Cost if I had to pay out of pocket - $180+

At 30,000 miles - fuel pump went bad. Replaced under warranty. $0 cost. Cost if I had to pay out of pocket - $500+

At 40,000 miles - DPFE (oxygen) sensor went bad. Replaced under Ford extended recall warranty for this item only. $0 cost. Cost if I had to pay out of pocket - $230.

At 41,000 miles - new tires are needed. Goodyears lasted well, but all four need replacement. Not under warranty. Cost our of pocket - $340.

General Comments:

Overall the car has performed well. Pickup and ride are good. Very comfortable for long drives. Ample room for four to six adults. Back seat toe room is a bit tight, but still manageable.

Average cost to fill up the vehicle is $36 of regular unleaded at $2.00 per gallon.

Driving in the snow is very tricky. Rear end loves to slip and slide. Motor is powerful causing fishtailing even with the ABS and traction control.

I owned foreign cars previous to this Ford, and was very happy with their reliability. I'm a bit less happy with the reliability of this Ford, but the car was priced very reasonably for the value you receive. I would recommend this vehicle to others, but would also recommend an extended warranty depending on cost.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th October, 2004

28th Mar 2008, 09:53

Tires are not warranty items.

Your car has been pretty reliable, a light switch, a fuel pump, and a sensor is not bad reliability.

8th Apr 2016, 03:46

DPFE sensor is not the oxygen sensor. It is the Delta Pressure Feedback of the Exhaust Gas Re-circulation System Sensor. It is usually mounted near the throttle body, and has two vacuum lines and an electrical connector attached to it. The oxygen sensors, however, are mounted in the exhaust pipes or manifold, and do not have vacuum lines connected to them.